Anyone else's F800 Hot as Hell?

[AngryRed]

Originally Posted by danman

I bought the BMW wind deflector kit for the 800 thinking that might be a quick and simple fix for $50, here is the link;

(http://search.ascycles.com/search?w=...nd%20deflector)

Nice danman, would you mind posting some results once you have ridden with them installed?

[Under_Score]

As far as the radiator hose goes.. I just got my bike back from them. I took my bike in because it was having problems starting, could have been bad gas cause of course it works fine once I got it there. Anyways mine was due for the radiator hose also. They kept is for 3 days and they were able to order the part and get it fixed. They even let me keep the loaner bike until they got it fixed.

...Under_Score

[bikerfish1100]

i notice heat pulling away from a stop light, it dissipates soon after i'm rolling again. i notice heat on my shins- nowhere else. i notice heat above 85 degs ambient air temp.
it's a freaking water-cooled machine, so it's pretty much a case of "they all do that" (to some degree or another). it sure ain't K1100 hot, that's fer sure!

btw- i;ve learned that riding in some kind of dedicated riding pants (i wear textile overpants) actually reduces the feel of heat by providing some insulation. jeans are worse, and shorts, well, that's just plain stupid, i don't care what rationale you come up with!

[GB]

For the first time, I was wearing bmw's Venting Machine pants (all mesh) and when stopped I could feel the heat on my lower legs, but when wearing my Aerostich Roadcrafter pants, I can't feel a thing, moving or stopped.

I actually feel more heat from my KLX250S.

[markas]

Test drove a bike a year ago and heat was a bit annoying. The muffler burned the leg of my wife while she got off the bike ! While being in traffic it was bad for me too , couldn't wait to get out of it! I was in shorts that time and it was around 30celsius hot. I have bought the bike anyway and have it for 2 weeks. Drove around 400 miles till now , outside town full armor , inside town , sometimes in shorts. No heat problem at all with same outside temperatures. Go figure! Even the muffler does not give so much heat like the test drive bike did. I thought that they must have fixed this for the 2009 model. Anyway , heated or not no rider should have any problems while wearing the proper gear.

[raider]

Originally Posted by AngryRed

Of course the trusty temp gauge reads 4 bars the whole way home even though the bike is hotter then its ever been. Funny thing about the temp gauge is it reads 4 bars in 30 degrees and 4 bars in 110 degrees. Go figure.

Is the F800's temp gauge a water temp gauge? I assume it is (it is on most vehicles). If so, I'd not expect to see much variation in it short of a catastrophic engine meltdown, as the coolant temperature will be relatively constant regardless of outside air temperature if the radiator and fan are doing their jobs and you have enough water in the bike.

What you need is an oil temperature or cylinder head temperature reading on your bike, and someone else's who doesn't notice the heat, to see if you're hyper-sensitive or if your bike has a problem. Step in the wise heads who can tell you how to rig up such a beast...

You mention a frame too hot to touch, but what's the sun like where you're from? My frame is too hot to touch if I even leave it parked in the sun at work during summer, let alone run it, and the seat gets hot enough to blister your ass in the same conditions. But that's Australia in high summer, YMMV.

[Desert Dave]

Originally Posted by Singletrack_mind

One thing about the GS 800 that's a little diffferent from most bikes I've owned is that the rider's legs are right up against the cylinder & cylinder head area on the engine, which of course is where the heat in an engine is generated. There's just a couple inches there between your leg and the engine & the only thing keeping you off it is the steel frame tube which is of course also going to get hot. I can't think of another bike I've ridden where the top end of the engine has been so close, the rider practically grips this engine with his/her knees.

Great point and I'll echo that.

I haven't had the heat issues and was wondering what the big deal was. this being the second thread on the subject I thought I'd pay a bit more attention to it while riding yesterday. OBC was reading just under 100 F, not crazy hot but enough to see, I think. At a stop I touched the areas in question an yes, they were extremely hot, but as Singletrack pointed out, the frame is bolted right to the head at that point, something we would never touch on purpose on a hot bike.

Once back riding I really payed attention to how I sat on the bike an realized I have at least a few inches (often more) of air gap between my legs, so they aren't actually touching anything. I sit kinda far back on the seat as that's more comfortable on the highway, I really don't like sitting forward in the pocket, except when offroad to get weight forward in a tight turn, but then I often have a leg off anyway, an most of the time I stand. So I tried sitting as far forward as I could an squeezed the tank, an yes it was hot as anything. Fortunately for me it's not an issue but for some that it really is, maybe consider a different seat an bars that bring you back just a few inches, you can always slide forwrad an hug the tank if your're doing the full tilt boogie in the canyon for a bit, an then sit back on the straights or while just cruising.

[musca999]

Originally Posted by bikerfish1100

.....actually reduces the feel of heat by providing some insulation. jeans are worse, and shorts, well, that's just plain stupid, i don't care what rationale you come up with!

So what's the difference between riding a motorcycle lidless/wearing shorts/flipflops/naked/whatever and skydiving?

They are both dangerous (potentially deadly) but we do it because we LIKE it. I thought we rode bikes because we liked to ride bikes.

The other day crossing Tennessee a Harley dude passed me and pointed to my head cuz I wasn't wearing a helmet. WTF! What business is it of his whether I want to wear a helmet or not. Why do people feel so compelled to impose their views on others? I could never understand it, but it is nonetheless annoying. It just puts a kink in an otherwise great riding day.

So next time do us (ok well...me) a favor and keep your negative comments to yourself. Don't worry, we all know you fit in and you're cool. You have nothing to prove here.

[IBGONE]

Musca999,
The guy who pointed to his head when you were in Tennessee was probably just letting you know you were in a helmet law state and were subject to getting a ticket. Don't be such a dick head! Ride with or without a helmet and let the consequences be what they may . . . most likely nobody gives a shit anyway.

[Bushwhacker]

Add some nomex fabric to your pants.

In addition to being fire resistant it also acts as a heat shield absorbing the heat and not passing it thru to the wearer. They make flight and auto racing suits from nomex.

I have a Tourmaster rain suit with NOMEX panels. Works great.

It is not very expensive.

NOMEX properties discussion -

http://www.coverallsale.com/nomex-fa...cteristics.htm

NOMEX by the foot -

http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pro...asp?RecID=3136

[musca999]

Originally Posted by IBGONE

Musca999,
The guy who pointed to his head when you were in Tennessee was probably just letting you know you were in a helmet law state and were subject to getting a ticket. Don't be such a dick head! Ride with or without a helmet and let the consequences be what they may . . . most likely nobody gives a shit anyway.

Haha! That is so funny....
And what about people that do it in TX? I just used the TN example cuz it's the latest one that happened to me. And from reading bikerfish's post he certainly gives a shit!

[Bushwhacker]

Originally Posted by musca999

And from reading bikerfish's post he certainly gives a shit!

I do not necessarily think that is true.

I can certainly think you are stupid without caring what you do.

[Wambo]

I test rode a F650GS, which is similar, last summer. I don't recall any heat issues but it wasn't Las Vegas either. Any of the 650GS twin owners have the same complaint?

Just curious.

[cug]

Originally Posted by musca999

The other day crossing Tennessee a Harley dude passed me and pointed to my head cuz I wasn't wearing a helmet. WTF! What business is it of his whether I want to wear a helmet or not. Why do people feel so compelled to impose their views on others? I could never understand it, but it is nonetheless annoying. It just puts a kink in an otherwise great riding day.

Go, get in an accident and be brain dead for the next 30 years. The Harley guy's taxes will help keeping you alive (Not that you'd like that, but do you get a choice?).

[musca999]

Originally Posted by cug

Go, get in an accident and be brain dead for the next 30 years. The Harley guy's taxes will help keeping you alive (Not that you'd like that, but do you get a choice?).

This will be my last entry on this topic. I enjoy riding my bike without a helmet. It is a choice and we should all be allowed to make them without being ridiculed. Using your logic riding a motorcycle is stupid...period. Just ask any car driver